FISHKILL – Gap Inc.'s plan to invest $96 million in its distribution center here will lead to a gradual ramp-up of jobs, and thus make a significant contribution to the local economy with 1,200 jobs over five years.

As no specific pay scales or breakdown of full-time or part-time has yet been made public, it's speculative to say how much. But even if a job is minimum wage, that translates into the millions. If they were all full-time, that would come to $25 million more a year at full strength.

What Gap has said in its application to the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency, IDA, is that it plans to add modern warehouse equipment to its facility and then add jobs gradually.

Cathy Maloney, executive director of the IDA, said she's not expecting to see the planned surge in jobs until 2016. The site has 428 full-time equivalent jobs now.

The plan shows 728 jobs by the end of the first year of the increases. By the end of the second, the site total would be 1,128. By June of 2019, the total should rise to 1,628.

New York state is aiding with an award of $12 million in Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits, which require actual job creation and investment levels. Tax credits are claimed on corporate income tax returns and offset taxes that would otherwise be owed.

The Dutchess IDA is being asked to extend an existing PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes arrangement. This relates to property taxes on the plant. Maloney said it is also tied to job creation and capital expenditures being made. The original PILOT began in 2000 and is scheduled to expire in 2020. The proposal is to extend it by 15 years to 2035, she said.